Senari
by SilverPhoenix-21
Summary: ZATR Zim falls into heat with Tak, but is she going to accept him? What will the consequences be?
1. Lure

I disappeared here for awhile, but now I've come back! This was originally posted over at deviantart but now I'm posting it here. Yep, this is a zatr. So if you don't like that kind of thing, no one's keeping you here. But if you do, please enjoy! Reviews are appreciated!

Disclaimer thing: Invader Zim belongs to Jhonen Vasquez. I don't own anything here except this story so don't come after me.

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Some nights it was unbearable. He would sit out on the rooftop, perched like an owl, sometimes from midnight until dawn, gazing, always in the same direction. His eyes were guided by an invisible trail floating on the air currents. Through all the stenches and putrid smells from the humans that cursed the cool night air, there was one pleasant scent that seemed to mask them from his senses, one that glided above the rest and one only he could detect. The only scent in the air that was meant solely for him. The stars dotted the sky above him, mirrored by the man-made lights that lasted throughout the night which lain out before him in a shining path as if to guide him to the place where she resided. 

He wanted to go. Something deep within told him to run and run and never cease running until he found her. His claws dug into the roofing panels, as if to hold him in place. He knew better. He knew the anxiety and the aching in his chest was just a remnant of his specie's past. Things changed. Time had changed. Acting on his pure, animal instincts would no longer reward him. The rooftop was as far as he would go.

He knew it wouldn't last and it would all be over soon. Only a few more weeks perhaps. A few more tormenting, nerve-racking, anxious long weeks of not getting more important things done because he was too busy trying to control himself. He began to wonder if she knew what she was doing to him. She had to, he thought. As far as he knew, she was the only female of his species on this planet and he was the only male. The Armada was lightyears away. There was no competition. He had a straight shot toward her and knowing that made it all the worse because he knew he couldn't have it.

Every night for the past week it was the same. He would go to the roof, stare in the same direction, taking in the beautiful perfume of a female, become angry at her for torturing him, and then heave a sigh and surrender again to the wonderful scent.

-----

He stood still, frozen in place. Zim was outside the female's supposed new base, staring through the metal gate at the giant mansion. She seemed to take an interest in wealthy humans. _Should he dare go any closer?_ He gazed through the iron bars from a dark street lined with trees, his eyes trying to look past the brick walls of the home for...something. He had never set foot outside the parameters of his base during the last week. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest. Something was turning in the pit of his squeedlyspooch. He knew he shouldn't have, but he sniffed the air, and suddenly every nerve in his body turned to cold fire. He swallowed, trying to will himself to turn away, to go back to his own base.

The chill in his blood told him something was wrong. His eyes opened wide as he realized the problem. Warily, he sniffed the air again. The scent was strong. Too strong. She was closer than he thought.

Everything in his head seemed to swirl at that point. He shouldn't be here. His antennae pricked up, waiting for the smallest sound. He knew she was close. She wasn't inside her base like he thought she would be. She must have detected his approach and now she was waiting for him in the dark, ready to attack.

_You idiot!_ He cursed himself. He was falling right into her trap.

His antennae flicked as he heard the scraping of metal against bark behind him. So she was in the trees. He slowly turned and fixed his gaze on the dark woods. His eyes pierced the black but he could not see her. The thick branches hid her from the moonlight, but she was there, he knew, in the tree to his left. Her taunting scent gave her away.

"I didn't come here to fight you." The words came out before he could stop them. "Tak."

He thought he heard her spiderlegs scraping against the wood again. "Then why are you here?"

The reply was harsh and bitter. He didn't know if he had an answer or not. He remained silent and tried to spot her.

A black shadow glided across his vision and a swoosh of air flowing with the tantalizing scent blew in front of his face. His eyes involuntarily shut and when he opened them again half a second later, he saw her, standing before him, silhouetted by the lunar light, eyes gleaming. She had grown just as much as he had, and her figure had become all the more graceful. He swallowed again. He felt powerless and he didn't know why.

"I asked you a question." Her voice was kept low and her gaze was hard. He only stared back into her dark eyes. "Well? Are you going to answer me or just stand there all night? You said you didn't come here to fight."

He started to feel sweat roll down behind his eye. "Uh...I-I" He couldn't find words. _What's wrong with me!?_ He couldn't move and he couldn't talk. He should never have come.

His antennae suddenly jerked up once more as he heard a car coming down the road. He turned and saw its headlights beam through the trees. Somewhere in his daze, he heard Tak growl, "Get over here!" and felt her grab the collar of his uniform. The lights left his view as he was flung into the brush and hurled against a tree with a bit more force than was necessary. The female looked at him strangely before turning and waiting for the vehicle to pass.

The car went by without noticing the two aliens and continued on down the dark road into the night. Tak twisted her head to face the other, a frown forming across her features. "Just be honest. What are you doing here Zim?"

Zim forced his voice to speak. "I wanted to see you." It was the only answer he had.

Tak studied him carefully, piercing deep into his eyes with her own. He wasn't lying at least, as far as she could tell. Something was different about him though. His skin was a darker shade than its normal color, as if he had a bit too much blood underneath. His eyes were brighter, she could tell even in the dim lighting, and his antenna twitched at random intervals. She caught something on the breeze and she suddenly jolted back, her expression becoming one of disgust.

"Get away from me," she growled, baring her pointed teeth. She stood up abruptly from the ground, dusting herself off, and turned away, heading towards the mansion's gate.

Zim watched her the whole time without saying a word. Somehow he found the strength to stand up and somehow found the nerve (and idiocy) to follow after her. When she realized he was behind her, she turned and yelled, "Didn't you hear me!?"

Zim stopped, staring into her scowl. "I only wanted to see you," he said once more.

"Well you're not going to get anything from me," she growled. "So get out of here! Go home!"

She started walking away again. Zim took one step after her, then stopped. She wasn't going to let him get near her anymore tonight. He watched as her pak opened and her spider legs reemerged, taking her over the gate and back to the mansion. His body wanted to follow her but he willed himself to keep in place. When she disappeared from his view, he drew in a deep breath and tried to relax his nerves.

What was going on with him? Zim had never felt so nervous in front of someone. What was worse, it was someone of his own kind. In those few moments with her, he seemed to have lost all his wit. He couldn't think of anything to throw in her face as he did with Dib, who he was very good at berating.

As he started walking away to his own base, he wondered similar things about Tak. What was going on with her? She just got up and walked away. She didn't even try to attack when she had the advantage over him. Everything that had happened left the Invader quite puzzled.

-----

Night after night, when the air was cool and the natural perfume was heaviest, he would go to the same place outside the iron gate. He would sit across the road in the woods, perched in a tree, and watch and listen for any signs of her presence. And every time, there was nothing. Not one glimpse, not one whisper of her movement. There was only the scent that drew him to that place, the only clue that she was even there.

He thought he was going mad. All his plans and all his latest schemes to take over the filthy planet were put on hold. He had tried numerous times to work on some device to take his mind off what it was really thinking. It wasn't as bad during the day when he had school and the Dib-human to keep him distracted. Though once night fell, his concentration and his focus on whatever he had been doing hours before was shattered and all he could think about was her. He had no idea where it came from but deep inside there was a growing need to try to impress her. He remembered reading somewhere once that long ago during the ancient days, a male Irken hunted a small animal and brought it to the female he was seeking as a mate. If she accepted, the pair would share the offering of food with each other. Zim huffed. Maybe he should just go kill a human or something.

It was the middle of the second week of his torture. He was sitting in his usual spot outside Tak's base, so far having seen no signs of her like all the other times he visited. He had been there since early in the evening but now the chronometer in his pak told him dawn would be coming soon. Sighing on another uneventful watch, he lifted his weight and made for the ground. As he did so, he failed to notice the electro grenade attached to the underside of the branch.

His movement sparked the trigger's sensor and he suddenly found himself fighting against the stinging shocks of an electric net. _Dammit!_ He writhed and screamed, trying to find a weak spot in the lines. The net constricted tighter and tighter around him the more he struggled. Cursing himself and his blind stupidity, he felt the electric pulses intensify. The net's bands set one high-voltage charge to course through his body, immobilizing the Irken.

When he came to, Zim was on his knees with his arms held tightly against his frame by energy bonds. His surroundings were that of an Irken base, not unlike his own. The air was cool and still, with only the humming of machines and computer systems to break the dead silence. This part of Tak's base must have been underground just as his was.

"You're too predictable, you know."

Zim turned his attention to the voice, throwing daggers at the female with his eyes. "Let me go, Tak," he snarled.

Tak only grinned at his displeasure. "Why should I? So you can go and sit in your tree all night? I know what you want. I know what you're thinking about when you're out there, and what you're probably thinking right now."

_You wretched female,_ Zim thought, clearly showing it on his face if not in words. He realized he wasn't as enthralled by her scent at the moment. The net must have neutralized something, which was fine by him. Now if he could only find a way out of this.

Zim glared up at her. She glared equally hard back at him but he caught something in her eye. For a split second, he thought he saw her features soften. That's when noticed one of her antennae was twitching nervously and he realized what was going on. His trademark evil grin replaced his scowl and a murmuring laugh escaped from deep in his throat.

"You're no better than I am," he smirked.

Tak bared her teeth in annoyance. "What?"

Zim kept his grin on his face. "You can hardly control yourself, just like me. Why else would you have caught me? You had plenty of times to try and catch me before. It seems now you just can't take it anymore."

The other Irken's fists clenched as she realized what he was saying. "You think I want you for myself?"

"Don't deny it!" Zim spat. "I know you're going through the same thing I am! It happens to all Irkens, so don't try and play dumb!"

"But what makes you think I'm interested in you?"

"What makes you think you're not interested in me?" Zim retorted. "I can see it when I look at you. You put on a tough defense but I can still tell you're nervous. Your antenna twitch, your eyes dart from place to place, and you keep shooting pheromones at me. I won't be stubborn like you. I'll go ahead and admit the same thing's happening to me!" He drew in a deep breath. "These past days have been torture. No matter what I do, I can't stand being far away from you. I can hardly control myself any longer. And there is a part of me that does want you!"

He abruptly shut his mouth. He didn't mean to say that last thought out loud. His mind was always faster than his logic.

Tak frowned. "I'm not going to let you ruin my life a second time."

Zim recoiled with a look of offense. He didn't like those moments when his past caught up with him. "I don't want to ruin it," he murmured. "I just...need to be near you."

Tak drew in a sigh and relaxed her fists. There was truth in his words. Since the first night she caught him trespassing and sent him away, she felt a terrible need deep in her blood to seek him out. She could always detect him by scent whenever he came close to the base. She did all she could to keep from going outside. Even when he wasn't there, his presence would linger on the air until the wind blew it out. It was the smell that drove her crazy.

Zim broke the silence that had fallen on them. "I'll make a truce with you..."

She darted her eyes back to him at the sound of his voice, having not been aware that she had looked away.

"It is apparent that both of us are going insane," Zim grinned slightly at the comment. "But this won't last much longer. So I'll stay with you here at your base for the next few weeks. Once this Season has passed, we go back to hating each other again and everything returns to normal. Maybe we can at least feed off of our own separate ideas and try to take over this planet together while we're in each other's company."

Tak looked at him suspiciously and Zim detected her uneasiness. "Don't worry," he said. "It won't go far. I'll only be in your presence, nothing more." He gazed up at her, but her face was unreadable this time. His eyes stared deeply into hers, but her expression remained blank. Doubts began to creep into his head that she wouldn't accept and she would only end up killing him to be done with the problem. After all, he had been trespassing on her territory. He knew female Irkens were far more aggressive than the males, though they rarely showed it. He was hoping this didn't turn out to be one of those rare moments. He was the one bound and unable to move. She had the advantage and he was at her mercy.

"Please, Tak. Cut these bonds and I swear by my word as an Invader that I will not attack you." He lowered his head, staring at the floor, and curled his antennae back towards his skull in submission.

Silence was the best thing he could offer after that. He waited for a response, any response, though Tak remained quiet, standing her ground. He could barely hear her breathing. Right then, he imagined he looked pretty pitiful. The Great Invader Zim was on his knees, trapped in energy bonds, submitting to a female who was still considered a janitorial drone by their society's standards-all because he had given in to his natural, savage instincts as a needy little male. _Way to go, Zim. Looks like you screwed up again. One more reason for people to laugh at you._ He quieted the thoughts running through his mind. This was going to be the end of him.

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So that's it for the first chapter! Second part will be up soon. 


	2. Possession

Here's chapter two. Thanks to all those who reviewed the first chapter! Please enjoy!

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Unfortunately for Zim, negotiating where he would be staying in Tak's base during their truce had never come up in the offer. So, it was no surprise to him that he was locked up in a holding cell. He was alone most of the time, with only the female's scent to keep him company (and drive him insane).

He would see her every now and then, though. She would bring him food and sustenance. Occasionally she would come and ask him if it was too cold or warm in the cell, which Zim found a little strange. It was always a constant temperature throughout the base. Other times, she would come and lean against the wall outside the jail with her eyes shut, seeming to be deep in thought. After a while, she let herself slide to the floor and draw her legs up to her chest, resting her forehead on her knees as if to hide her face from Zim. Sometimes she would sit there for hours, keeping quietly to herself, and then suddenly get up and leave, all without uttering a single word.

The first few times she sat silently with him, Zim had tried talking to her. Anything he said seemed to fly right over her head. Even if he got angry at her for ignoring him, she still remained silent and unfazed. After several tries, he gave up attempting to converse with her and sat in his own silence.

During his time alone, he began to wonder how he had fallen into this whole mess in the first place. He had always believed he never needed anybody. Getting close to people was a waste of time and effort, especially if you were in the elite ranks of the Irken military. Everything was just fine until she came along.

_Until she came along the second time,_ he reminded himself. Their very first encounter years ago hadn't drawn them to each other because back on Irk, it was nowhere near a mating season. Bad choice of timing was part of the problem. The other part was due to the fact that he was an Invader. Most Irkens, especially those close to home, were given a special sedative when they came of age which targeted certain hormones and reduced the response to others of the opposite sex. This helped many young Irkens to stay focused during mating seasons and kept the population in check. Irkens in training to infiltrate and conquer reached the rank of Invader before they were biologically ready to breed. This meant Invaders were usually exempt from carrying the hormone treatment in their paks since they would be spending most of their lives on assigned worlds or solo missions, separated from other Irkens for great periods of time.

And there was not supposed to be more than one Invader on one assigned planet at a single time.

Though Zim still wondered why Tak was acting as if she didn't have the hormone treatments since it was clear that she never officially reached the title of Invader (thanks to him). He figured she must have ridded herself of everything that made her a drone before coming to Earth, including throwing out the sedative. Not a wise choice he thought. _This is all her fault._

Try as he might to stay angry at her, he couldn't help but feel a small relief whenever she visited him. Despite being locked up, he seemed content when she was there.

On his fifth day of being stuck in the cell, Zim attempted to speak to Tak again during one of her quiet appearances. "This isn't much of a truce, you know," he started. "Keeping me prisoner like this...I'm beginning to go crazy in here." He tilted his head to watch for a reaction. Tak remained silent, just as she always did.

Zim sighed, already giving up. "Well, at least you're close to me. I don't feel as anxious anymore."

He shut his eyes, breathing in deeply. He inhaled, letting her scent surround his senses. The knowledge that she was only several feet away kept him relaxed. He was slowly sinking into bliss. The world around him would have vanished if he hadn't noticed the forcefield to the cell's entryway shut down with a low buzz. Startled, he stood and turned his attention to the other Irken, who hadn't moved an inch except for the mechanical leg that reached to turn the energy field's switch off.

Zim examined Tak carefully from inside the cell. She was sitting on the floor of the hall as always, with her legs drawn into her body, her hands resting on her knees, and her head kept low. Warily, Zim began walking towards her. His body went on edge for any sign of attack or ambush. Nothing seemed to readily catch his attention so he continued on until he was only a few feet from her. His breath caught in his throat when she spoke.

"I don't know what else to do," she murmured.

Something inside Zim smiled. It was the first time he heard her talk in days. When he was sure she wouldn't attack him, Zim knelt down in front of her, carefully taking her hands from her knees into his own. Tak lifted her head slightly at the touch, surprised that he had got so close.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Zim said softly, gently massaging her hands. "You're muscles are tense," he said, scooting closer to her and noticing the stiffness in her arms. "You're more of a wreck now than I was a few days ago."

There was a small grin in his words. Tak kept her gaze on her hands in his, never looking at Zim's eyes. "That feels nice..."

Zim smiled at the small comment. "You need to rest," Zim said, "I don't think you've had much sleep."

He was surprised when Tak laughed. "Why are you so concerned about me now?" she said. "You've never shown this kind of interest before." She stared at the other, scolding him. "You would never ha-"

Zim kissed her before she could continue. He pulled back slowly, enjoying having finally made contact with her. The words he didn't want to say forced their way out of his throat. "I want you."

Tak could feel her fist trembling with the urge to punch his eye out, but a second kiss from him made it cease. Waves of warmth went flowing through her body when Zim held on longer, kissing her deeper. Despite her head's screaming protests, Tak gave in and felt every muscle, tendon, and ligament inside her relax. It was as if something had snapped. The huge gaping hole that refused to be ignored over the past days was suddenly filled. The last place she wanted to be right then was the chilling void where thousands of whispers had been telling her to go to him. It was over. The voices had finally died away with the simple contact. Somehow, she couldn't have been happier.

When Tak drew in a breath, Zim moved down to her neck, softly nipping at the flesh there. After a while, he felt her breathing become steadier and her arms fell to her sides. Zim turned his attention away from her neck and took the side of her face in his palm, studying her.

"You need to rest. You're about to fall asleep right here." Zim stood up slowly, pulling Tak with him by her arms and forcing her to stand. "I'll take you to your quarters."

Tak silently nodded, stepping ahead to show him the way. Zim walked with her down several corridors. The two stepped into an elevator and went a level down, finally coming to a small living area. There were two rooms, a bedroom and a cleaning room. Invaders didn't usually require much, only the necessities. This was more or less the same layout Zim had at his own base.

Tak left Zim's side and made for the circular bed near the far wall of the sleeping area. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but something held Zim in place at the doorway. Tak sat on the edge of the bed, glancing at him curiously before pulling her legs up over the side and saying, "You can come in," as she laid down.

Zim slowly walked into the room. It took him slightly longer than it should have to reach the bedside. He looked down at the female Irken who was curled into a ball, slipping into a heavy sleep. Zim grabbed one of the blankets folded to the side and draped it over her form.

It was quiet except for Tak's steady breathing. Zim glanced around at nothing, not quite knowing what he should do next. He looked over his shoulder at Tak. Apparently, she now trusted him enough to fall asleep with him loose in her base.

He hadn't meant to kiss her. He wanted to get close to her and something took over when he got a little too close. He enjoyed it though. It was nice, he thought. And not the destruction kind of nice, it's a different kind of nice. It was one he had never felt before.

-----

Zim wandered through the corridors of Tak's base. He was careful not to stray from the halls he had already seen. He didn't want to run into any unpleasant traps that might be waiting to ensnare intruders. An hour or so ago, he'd awoken next to Tak, who was still sound asleep. He remembered laying down beside her, though he didn't quite recall when he dozed off.

He had woken up hungry. He had yet to get his daily rations from Tak. So he went off to explore the base, hoping he'd find where she kept her food stores. He was lucky enough to find a small kitchen not far from the main corridor. Rummaging through the different cabinets and containers, he found a few varieties of Irken breads and jellies. It wasn't meat or a warm meal like Tak usually brought him but it suited the Irken for the time being.

When he was satisfied, he continued walking through the halls, gnawing on a chewing bone. He'd found a package of them with the bread and decided to take one for himself. It had been a while since he had one and he knew his teeth could use the polishing.

He found a lab room and spotted a console chair to sit down in. He forced the chair to tilt back a bit with his legs, twirling the bone in his mouth as if it were a lollipop. Zim set his elbow on the arm of the chair and rested his head with his knuckle. "Now what?" he muttered to himself. He set his foot firmly against the front panel of the console, using his leg to rock the chair back and forth. The bone was almost gone. It was just a stump now in his mouth. He maneuvered it to a deadly place between his teeth and bit down on it, shattering it to tiny pieces with his powerful jaw muscles.

He could do the same thing to the Dib-human's neck if he wanted to. He grinned evilly at the idea. Irkens usually kept their natural predatory behaviors hidden but sometimes those qualities could be very useful. Zim played with the thought in his mind. He ground what he could of the bone into even smaller particles and swallowed them.

Then he smelled something. Zim turned in his chair to the doorway, waiting for Tak to appear. Spotting him as she was passing by, Tak altered her course and entered the lab, her eyes fixed on him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Zim watched her as she came toward him. "Just sitting here. Don't worry. I haven't spied or sabotaged anything," he said with a smirk. Zim stood up and quickly closed the space between them. He stopped a few feet in front of her. "Are you feeling well?"

Tak wanted to step backwards from him. "I'm fine," she replied quietly. Zim brushed her arm with his fingertips. There was a pleasant scent surrounding him. It drew Tak towards him until she was close enough to feel his breath on her face. Their foreheads softly collided when Zim embrace her with his arms. Tak saw that he was smiling.

Tak gripped his shoulders in an attempt to keep him at bay. "What's going on Zim?"

Zim nuzzled the side of her face. "I enjoy being close to you." He started nipping at her neck again, pulling her against him.

Even though she was enjoying the touch, Tak tried to resist him. "I don't think we should be doing this."

Zim looked at her, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Tak felt his hold on her slack and she stepped away from him. "You and me. We're not supposed to like each other..."

"Why not?"

Tak stared firmly at him. "You said it wouldn't go far."

Something in Zim writhed in irritation. "I don't think this truce even started. You kept me locked up for days."

"And maybe I should put you back in there!" Tak snarled back at him.

Zim glared. "I don't want to start a fight with you Tak." He let a sigh escape him. "Maybe I should just leave. It seems you never wanted me here in the first place."

He made his way towards the door. To get there meant passing by Tak. She grabbed him by the arm, digging her claws into his skin. "I didn't say you could leave the base," she growled.

"Then I'll go someplace away from you." Zim pulled his arm free, feeling her cut shallow marks into him with her claws as he did so, and exited the lab. He strode down the corridor looking for an elevator. He was angry, though somewhere inside he didn't want to leave her. He mentally told his inner thoughts to shut up for once, entering an elevator and going down a level.

When the doors opened he realized where his feet had taken him. He was now in Tak's personal quarters. Shrugging he went over to the circular bed and sat down. His shoulders sagged. Zim shut his eyes and tried to make himself calm. Laying on his side, he wondered how everything had fallen apart. _She doesn't really want anything from you. It's all your head. It's all in both of your heads. It's just your body talking, Zim. You would never think twice about destroying her if you had the chance. Would you?_

The pillows and fabrics of the bed were still laden with Tak's scent. All ideas of hating Tak left his train of thought, leaving his mind a blank. Turning his head into the cushions, Zim breathed in softly, taking in every last trace of her that he could. _Maybe she isn't so bad..._ The pleasant odor lulled him to sleep. He only just began to feel himself doze off when something heavy sat on top of him.

Startled, Zim twisted his body around as best he could only to find Tak looming over him. He heard a threatening growl deep in her throat.

"You're not leaving until I say you do."

Zim could only gulp before she went down on him, pressing her mouth roughly against his.

-----

Tak allowed Zim to leave several days later. He wasn't exactly sure why she did, but he took his chance and told her he would be off. He didn't really want to abandon her, though for some reason going back to his own base felt like a good idea. So he left Tak with only a simple kiss goodbye.

After that, Zim went back to his daily routines. He started work on his halted plans for conquest. He made his way to and from the local school with Dib chasing him around the city whenever the human got a chance at it. Everything appeared to be normal again. The only thing missing was Tak. Zim had heard not a word from her since their departure.

Weeks after Zim had left Tak's base, Dib had cornered the alien out near the school's ball courts one day during the lunch break, throwing his usual taunts at the Invader.

"When are you gonna tell me what evil plan you were working on all those days you were gone, huh Zim? Huh? Huh!? Huh!?"

Zim only growled in annoyance. "As if I would reveal anything to you, Stinkbeast!" The thought of wrapping his jaws around the human's neck suddenly returned and it seemed like a very good idea at the moment.

Dib gave Zim the best glare he could manage. "You can't hide anything from me for long Zim! I'll find..."

Dib stopped in his tracks when he noticed a figure approaching them. At first he didn't recognize the dark blue-haired girl. Once she got closer, he realized that she wasn't human at all.

"Tak!?" He then turned his sights back on Zim in an accusing look. "So this is what you've been up to? The two of you have been concocting some evil scheme to take over the Earth!"

Zim only looked warily over at the female, no longer interested in listening to Dib. The human was about to snap the Irken out his daze when Zim suddenly spoke. "Tak...it's nice to see y-"

Before Zim could finish his sentence, his face was met with Tak's fist in a punch that sent him to the ground. With a pained grunt, he stared up at the female Irken, bewildered at what she had done. Tak walked away from the two without saying a word.

Dib finally came out of his own shock and stared down at the alien. The human was having trouble suppressing a laugh. "You probably deserved that," he snickered.

Zim pulled himself up, rubbing his face with his hand. "I probably did."

Dib ceased his barely controlled laughter at Zim's reply, surprised by the remark. "What does that mean?"

Zim only gave him an empty glare, heading back to the school building as the bell rang.


	3. Meet Again

Chapter 3. This chapter is currently untitled because I'm lame that way. And it's a bit shorter than the first two. R&R please!

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After that one not-so-friendly encounter with Tak at the school, Zim had lost complete track of the female Irken. It was now the third month since he left Tak's base. There was no word, sight, or scent of her whatsoever. After spending so much time with her, and then having her totally disappear┘Zim was uneasy, at first anyway. He couldn't help the feeling that something was amiss. It bit at him, day after day, and he would find himself aching to run back to her base just to be near her again just to be sure she was still even there. He wanted to be with her, but something told him he shouldn't. An internal instinct advised him to stay away. His Invader's reasoning told him he should leave her so he could do what he came here to do. Zim opted to keep his distance, no matter how much it hurt inside his chest. For almost a week, he secluded himself deep down in his labs, and tried to focus on little experiments that really had no useful purpose for his conquest. It was all just to keep his mind busy. 

The Invader convinced himself while he tinkered with the experiments that what he felt was the lasting effects of the year's breeding period. The season ended and the male Irken's hormones settled back to their usual levels, which made Zim very happy. He didn't have to worry about losing control of himself and running off to find Tak. He could feel his old self coming back. The yearnings didn't last much longer and without the craving to be near Tak, Zim was able to focus on his plans for the planet. Setting an incredible scheme into motion and almost always having it put to ruin by a certain annoying human became Zim's daily life once again.

Only every once in a while did he ever wish to see her again. There would be times, mostly when his mind was at ease, when he would start thinking about her. It was something he couldn't explain. He was over with the mating season and he started to care less and less whether Tak was still on the planet. Though, every time Zim turned his thoughts on Tak by chance, the more and more difficult it would be to take them off of her.

School ended with the arrival of summer and Zim now had more time to spend his days planning the doom of the planet and fending off the Dib. One particular warm sunny day, Zim came home slightly singed after a rather harsh incident involving the big-headed human, sausage, and a badger. Still shaking off the after-effects, Zim crossed his lawn to his base, stopping curiously at the doorstep. Before reaching for the doorknob, he cocked his head to the side, glancing over his shoulder. After staring at nothing for several seconds, he shrugged and continued on his way into the base.

Gir was sitting on the couch, watching the television as always. At the sight of the robot, Zim cringed. The SIR unit would have been VERY handy earlier today. Zim muttered inaudibly under his breath, making his way past Gir and pressing further into the base. Until the little robot stopped him halfway.

"Hi Master!" he squeaked happily.

"I'm not in the mood, Gir..."

"Okay! That green lady came to see you today!"

Zim then stopped in his tracks. "What?" He slowly turned to face Gir.

The little robot smiled at him. "She had something for you!"

-----

Without sparing Gir another word, Zim ran back outside. He stopped at the sidewalk, searching for a scent, a track, any sign that Tak had been there. He detected a trail riding the air down the street. It had the female Irken's signature all over it. Zim took a step forward then hesitated. It felt as though something was squeeze all his vitals deep inside his chest. He forced himself to breathe and shakily moved forward. He kept his focus on the invisible path before him, everything else around becoming a blur, and began summing up the strength to move faster.

He followed the trail down the city blocks, dashing around every corner as quick as his legs could manage, nearly toppling over several humans in the process. The sun was beginning to sink low in the sky. His chase led him to the outskirts of town, to the bridge that crossed the river which marked the city limits. It was here that he found her.

Tak was standing at the middle of the bridge, disguised in her form. She seemed to be gazing at the waters below, her arms crossed. Zim cautiously approached her. He hadn't seen her in three months. He didn't know how she would react to him after their last encounter.

As he became closer to her, he noticed the solemn look on her face. Even at only a few feet away, she didn't seem to acknowledge his presence. Zim looked down at her folded arms and saw she was actually holding a small book bag like the ones he saw the human children use at school.

"Tak..." Zim said. The bridge only vibrated and rattled in response as cars passed them by. "Tak?"

"I was wondering if you'd come," Tak muttered. She kept her eyes on the water below.

Zim shifted uneasily. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Tak remained silent, staring down at the item in her arms. "I was going to let it go. I thought it'd be better to forget about it and move on with what I'm supposed to be doing." Her voice became cold. "It will only be a nuisance to me anyway."

Zim was confused. He expected she'd be yelling his antennae off. Instead, she sounded angry at 'it', whatever 'it' was anyway. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"We're not supposed to have things like this happen!" She turned to him and glared. "Did you have any idea at all!?"

Zim narrowed his eyes. "What are you so angry about? What are you doing here Tak?"

A low, venomous growl escaped the female's throat as she bared her teeth at him. "HERE!" She suddenly shoved the bag into his arms. "You're the cause of all this, so you deal with it! You've ruined my life enough already, I don't need this to burden me as well!" She began walking away before Zim could react. He was left glaring daggers into her back. This time, Zim growled in anger.

"You horrible female!" he yelled at her. "You were the one who decided to come back! Maybe you life wouldn't be so miserable if you'd go and find your own planet!" There was a mysterious pain growing in his chest as he said those last words.

Tak ignored his outburst. Zim gritted his teeth. "That wretched...Arrgh!" He stared down at the bag, almost forgetting he was holding it. The bag was heavier than it looked. Something was inside it, he guessed. Curiosity temporarily replaced his anger and Zim undid the clasp on the front. Opening the leather flip with one hand, Zim peered into the bag. His eyes went wide with shock. The shining blue-green shell of an Irken egg was glistening back at him in the coming moonlight.

-----

By the time night had fully descended on the city, Zim had already returned to his base - with his newly acquired package. At the time, the only thing he could think to do was to wrap the egg in thick blankets and place it somewhere safe, mostly out of Gir's reach. So far, he had managed to walk through the front door without the insane little robot noticing much. Zim made his way down into a deep level of his lab. He found several suitable fabrics and carefully placed the wrapped-up egg on an examination table, covering it with a few more blankets. He then proceeded to lock all the doors to the room.

Once Zim was sure the egg wouldn't be squished to death via Gir, his brain began working on the other problems running through his mind. Mainly, what was he going to do with it now, and, why didn't Tak say anything about it sooner? "It's obvious she didn't want it," he mused aloud to himself while pacing back and forth in his lab, eyeing the little object warily. "Why give it to me? What am I going to do with it? This mission doesn't allow time to care for a smeet!"

Frustrated, Zim ran his hands over his face, nearly gouging his own eyes out.

_"It will only be a nuisance to me anyway."_

A thought occurred to Zim as he replayed Tak's words in his mind. He stepped over to a computer console and began typing in commands. He turned back to the table the egg was sitting on as the computer ran a scan over it. Zim waited a few moments as the information was processed. Once the results were shown on screen, Zim scanned through the findings anxiously. A small sigh of relief escaped him when the monitor indicated a heartbeat.

Zim read through the rest of the data. "So it's a male, and it only has a few more weeks to incubate before it hatches. That's more than enough time to create a pak..." He went quiet after his last sentence. _You're not thinking about keeping it!?_ He scowled to himself. "But it would be nice to have an evil minion that can actually get things done right," he mused. "It has inherited _my_ amazing genes after all. Getting rid of it would only be a terrible waste."

Zim went to stand beside the makeshift nest once again. He removed the glove from his right hand and dug his bare skin into the pile of blankets. He withdrew his hand after several seconds, pleased with the heat he felt surrounding the egg. "All seems to be well with you," he muttered to the egg as he put his glove back on. "Your mother failed to see the usefulness you can bring to a mission. I will not overlook the advantage you will provide for me. I am Zim, your father, and there is nothing but great things to be expected from a son of mine." Zim grinned and gently placed his hand lightly over the egg. "Sleep well, my child."


	4. Rumination

Finally! Another update! Much thanks to those who have reviewed! It is much appreciated.

This chapter got rewritten and thus caused a delay. This chapter introduces another character of mine and mentions the existence of some others. There is implied RAPR here. Just so you know.

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The days slowly went by. Zim spent his time with building a new pak, not for himself, but for the soon-to-hatch smeet. He used schematics and scans of his own pak to ensure the new one would properly function. He was not one of the soulless machines that manufactured Irken paks and though he was highly-skilled in repairing and upgrading his own, he went over every little detail with tremendous scrutiny. Even just the smallest imperfection could turn the smeet into a defect. 

Each day, in between building the pak and dealing with Dib, Zim would visit the egg down in the nesting lab. He still refrained from telling Gir. He believed it was simply too much of a risk and he would take no chances in losing this most valuable of assets. The daily visits allowed him to check the computer's readouts as it monitored the egg, but often Zim would find himself coming and going without even giving the computer a glance. In those instances, he would feel something compel him to go and stand next to the nest silently for a few moments. Sometimes, he wondered if the smeet could detect his presence there.

At times, he would place his palm softly against the shell and feel for movement. He often felt light pulses and vibrations as the smeet squirmed and kicked around. It was a tight space inside the egg and now that it was almost ready to hatch, Zim imagined the smeet was becoming more and more cramped. It wouldn't be long before its kicks become more intensified and it would try to break out of the shell.

After nearly a week and a half of work, Zim finished the new pak, according to the computer, two days before the smeet would hatch. He moved the pak from his working station down to the nesting lab immediately, placing right next to the bundle of blankets and assigning the monitoring computer orders to attach it when the time came. Once attached, the pak would increase the smeet's chances of survival nearly tenfold. Natural-borns, as rare as they might be, are almost never born off-world. But even on Irk, the time from when a natural-born hatches to the time it receives a pak, is the most dangerous. It is unlikely that such a smeet is born in a fully sterilized environment like the underground hatcheries, and it is therefore more susceptible to all manner of contagions. Zim had convinced himself that his base was completely safe and secure, and his smeet had nothing to worry about. Though the recent attempts the Dib-human was making to infiltrate slightly unnerved him. The quicker he could get the pak attached, the better.

Zim stood next to the egg and stared at it. Once the smeet had the pak, it would next need an information download. This was the part that Zim, for all his careful planning and preparations, had overlooked. His smeet needed the knowledge of Irk, of his race and of his homeworld, and Zim knew that was something he could not provide that for him. At least not in the same way Zim had received it. Zim wasn't exactly a super-computer or a control brain. His mind, in his body and in his pak, wouldn't be able to handle the process of downloading so much data at such a fast rate from his own memory banks. The only place for his smeet to get an adequate download was on Irk. And there arose another problem.

Zim had had his suspicions for a while now. He had suspected the Tallest were lying to him but he didn't want to believe it just yet. If he went and requested a temporary return to Irk, he feared what he might actually hear. In addition to that, if he returned to Irk with a smeet, it may just deteriorate his crumpling Invader status even more.

Invaders were the solitary, master scouts of the military. They were coveted as the elite lone rangers of the Irken race. They could survive anything and were entirely self sufficient. They needed no one. They never mated. The DNA of Invaders was only passed on when they had retired or had died. What would be said of him now that he had a child implanted with his DNA that was _not_ a hatchery smeet?

Zim felt two pangs of fear: One for his status in society and the other for his smeet. What happens to an unintentional smeet of an Invader? The matter never had to be dealt with before.

But the smeet _needed_ that download if it was to be of any use to him. The cost was just a little too much.

Slowly, Zim was coming to realize the justification for Tak's original intentions. She had foreseen the trouble she'd have to go through to get the child fully functioning as a standard Irken. She hadn't received Invader status and this smeet was just about a guarantee that she would never get the title. Maybe she was right. He had ruined her life again.

_Maybe she was right._

Maybe he should get rid of it too.

The thought didn't sit right with him, but he considered its benefits. He wouldn't have to go to Irk and risk losing all that he had left in his life. The Tallest would never have to know that he had spawned a smeet and wouldn't think any less of him than they already did. On the other hand, he had spent so much time on building a pak and keeping it safe, plus it still had potential to be a valuable minion. Should he give it the chance to prove itself, just as he himself had tried so hard to do? Perhaps it would only fail continuously like he did.

Would it be mercy to end its life before it even began and spare it the ridicule and humiliation that was sure to come or would it be murder to kill one of his own kind at such a young and defenseless state?

Zim placed his palm gently on the egg's surface, just as he so often did. All it would take is a quick contraction in the muscles of his arm and the shell would crush within his hand. The death would be almost instantaneous.

His thoughts were racing. He knew it could be better if he ended it there and now, but a small shred of hope was still clinging to him. He held his arm still, taking in the teal sheen of the protective shell. It would be so much easier for him and his smeet if he destroyed it and moved on.

_Easy. It would be easy. _

_It would be cowardly. _

Just another challenge, as he used to say. In all of his life, Zim couldn't ever remember backing down from a challenge. And he sure as hell was no coward.

He relaxed his arm. He didn't feel it become so tense. With both hands, he gently turned the egg to circulate the warmth and then recovered it with the blankets. He was partly responsible for this smeet's existence. It was his creation, and the overly egotistical part of him still knew that it would amount to something great.

He would figure it out when the time came. He would plan a way to get what his smeet needed.

But right now, he needed something to do, if just to take his mind off things.

He made for another lab one level up and sat at a communication console. Out of everyone that ever lived or was living in the known universe, there was only one person he actually, genuinely enjoyed talking to just for the sake of conversation. He opened a private, secured channel to Irk. If he was lucky, his contact would currently be sitting around with nothing to do. Though Zim wondered if he would even answer, especially since it had been so long since he last contacted him. Zim hoped the young prince would be able to lighten his mood, which he usually did.

He waited patiently for his transmission to be accepted, but was considering hanging up. Maybe the prince was away at his studies or training and wasn't in his chamber in the palace. Just a moment before Zim made up his mind about ending the call, the computer beeped, indicating someone had received the signal. He waited for the channel to connect, and then smiled when he saw a pair of bright red eyes akin to Tallest Red's looking back at him. "Hello, Ruus."

The young Irken on the screen grinned wide, showing all his teeth, and just about squealed into the monitor. "Zim! It's you! Hi!"

To his relief, Zim could detect no visible anger at him for not calling. "I take it you're happy to see me."

"I was wondering when you'd call! I haven't heard from you in so long." His expression fell slightly. "I thought something might have happened to you."

"No, I'm fine," Zim said with a sad smile, which didn't escape Ruus. The boy frowned at the Invader, a bit of worry showing on his face. Zim continued. "I just wanted to call and talk to you for a bit. I've been rather stressed lately."

Ruus looked uneasy. "Were Daru and Sa-me…"

"No, it's nothing to do with your parents," Zim answered, knowing where Ruus was going. "No, things are just complicated right now out here on this mud ball of a planet. You know, usual Invader stuff." Zim shrugged his shoulders casually. He didn't want to get the boy too worried.

Ruus smiled onscreen. "Well, I hope you feel better soon. Especially so you can conquer that planet and come home. I still want to meet you in person."

Zim smiled. From the day they first met, they had only ever conversed over a computer monitor. He longed for the day he returned to Irk and could see the prince in person, though somehow he doubted the Tallest would even let him go near one of their precious heirs. But he wouldn't spoil it for Ruus now. The boy was lightening his mood, just as he had expected.

Most people believed there was not one person in the entire universe who would ever give a damn about his well being, but the prince had proved that wrong. Ruus was one person who cared whether Zim succeeded or failed. Though no one knew about it. He and Ruus kept it to themselves. There was a strange understanding between them that no one else could comprehend.

So when Ruus twitched his antenna nervously and glanced offscreen, Zim knew their conversation time was up. "Do you have to go?"

Ruus audibly sighed. "Yes. I have to get back to my lessons before my instructor has a fit and runs off to whine to my parents again."

Zim smirked. He heard Ruus was the most quiet out of the Tallest's three offspring, but the Invader knew he could clearly voice his mind when he wanted to. It was something that Zim admired in the little Irken.

"I better go," Ruus said sadly.

Zim nodded. "I'll try to contact you again some time." With that he lowered his head and antennae forward in a respectful bow. Ruus smiled and waved before cutting the transmission.

Zim stared at the black screen for a few moments. That had actually felt quite pleasant, talking to someone of his own kind who did not have it on their agenda to eventually rip his head off. It made him feel there was still hope for him. But he tried not to let thoughts like that pester his mind. He stood up and scowled, though there was nothing to really scowl at. He just wanted to make sure he always had that tough front with him. It was what saved his skin countless times.

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If you want to see Ruus and the other princes, go to my profile page. There's a couple links there. 

For those of you who are waiting patiently - I swear that egg will hatch in the next chapter!

Review please. :)


	5. Hatchling

Deep in the nesting lab, Zim sighed as he lowered his head down on his crossed arms. He was sitting at the table that held his egg, watching the bundle closely through half-lidded eyes. It would hatch soon, very soon. The computer notified him earlier that it would hatch within the day. Zim spent most of his time down in the lab since the early morning, watching and waiting. There was a small twinge of anticipation deep in his squeedlyspooch. Every once in a while, the egg would twitch ever so slightly and Zim would lock his eyes onto it. Though, the smeet inside would settle back down and the egg would once again remain still, leaving Zim with nothing to do but wait. He wanted to be close by when the egg hatched so he could quickly address any problems that might arise with the pak integration. The smeet's new body may not be able to handle the surgical procedure on its own and it may need extra support while the pak is installed.

Zim could feel himself starting to doze off and for a moment he was just content to let his mind slip out of consciousness. At least until the computer brought him news from above. "Uh…Dib's broken into the base again…"

The computer's bored drawl was enough to snap Zim back to life. Somehow he just knew it was going to happen sooner or later. Dib was due for another break-in. Gritting his teeth and growling Irken obscenities at the human, Zim stood and marched for the doorway that would lead to an elevator down the hall. Though before stepping out of the lab, he stopped abruptly and turned back to face his egg laying on the table. _Don't you hatch just yet. Wait for me, _he mentally told the smeet within the blue shell. Zim continued into the elevator, catching one last glance of the bundle before the door shut behind him.

When Zim arrived at the top level of the base, he found Dib in the living room, trying desperately to throw Gir off his leg. The little robot clutched tightly onto the human, apparently causing the boy a lot of pain as Zim could see from Dib's expression. Perhaps this would be easy this time. Zim grinned and barked his order. "Gir! Finish him off now!"

"OKAY!" the robot saluted and Zim's powerful stance melted away when Gir screamed happily and proceeded to run out the door without looking back.

Dib panted, cringing with his aching, abused leg. "Thanks…he nearly cut off my circulation…" Then, in a blink, he suddenly straightened up as if nothing had happened. "And now, Zim! I have you!"

Dib pulled a pair of familiar looking metal handcuffs out of his coat pocket and lunged at Zim without warning. Zim, who was still fuming at Gir's incompetence and Dib's insult, barely snapped out of it in time to dodge the attack. Dib stumbled to the floor, catching himself and whirling around on the alien once more. Zim was ready for him though and the Irken landed a solid punch to the boy's face, leaving a nice purple bruise on his cheek. Zim delivered the blow with enough force to send Dib falling backwards and once the human was on the ground, Zim sprang at him, intending to get another punch in with his other hand.

Dib could see the hit coming through the crack of an eye, and he countered as best he could before the alien was on top of him. He swung his right leg up and to the side, putting as much strength into the move as he could manage. Zim lost the lock on his target and was struck to the side as Dib's leg hit his torso.

"Gah!" Zim grunted while he was thrown away from the human. He rolled and oriented himself onto all fours, ready to pounce again, but a painful throb shot through his side where he'd been hit and Zim unwillingly flinched. Dib seized the Irken's moment of weakness to his advantage and tackled the alien to the ground. Dib slammed his forearm hard against Zim's chest, placing all of his weight on it. Dib had learned from past experience that this little maneuver forced Zim's upper half to balance on the curve of his pak and put a painful amount of pressure on his spine, making it hard for him to utilize his pak's defenses. Zim cringed under Dib's weight. He couldn't kick his legs out as the human made sure to sit on them. One of his arms was pinned and the other was used to try to ease some of the pressure on his back. The Irken stared up into the human's face, sneering as best he could while trying to hide his pain.

Dib grinned victoriously. Zim had nowhere to go. "You're mine, alien scum. You'll be coming with me to the Swollen Eyeball now."

Zim really, really wanted to do something bad to the horrible native creature pinning him to the floor. Though before he could even spit in the human's ugly face, the computer chose to chime in. "Master, the egg is hatching…like, right now."

_Great…_Zim growled to himself. It just had to happen at this very inconvenient moment.

Dib's expression turned to confusion but he didn't let up his hold on Zim. "Egg? Just what are you trying to grow now Zim? Some evil alien monster that will devour the city!?"

Zim sneered at him but forced himself to try to reason. He needed to get out of this mess and get down to the lab. "Dib, you have to let me go." He figured he'd first try the calm, polite way of asking.

"Why would I do that?" Dib scoffed at him. "Especially after so _easily_ catching you."

The Irken ignored the insult, knowing Dib just wanted to be as obnoxious as he could and rub it in. Instead Zim went on. "This isn't about a plan to destroy this pitiful planet!" _Well, it will be eventually_. "It's something that doesn't concern you at all."

"You expect me to believe that? The computer said 'egg.' That means there's something alive down there and whatever it is, I know it can't be good for Earth!"

_You have no idea at all, you wretched beast! _He was running out of time. He had to make sure there were no complications with the smeet's pak. Zim clenched his teeth. "Please, Dib. This is personal." Zim was hoping that polite little statement would throw Dib off enough to confuse him and let him go.

"Personal?" Dib suddenly took on a look of something between fascination and disgust. "Is it _your_ egg?"

"…Yes." Zim answered quietly. He didn't want to give more information than he had to.

The scientist in Dib was awakening again. "You actually, uh, laid an egg?"

Zim scowled. Dib and his questions! "No, you ignorant Earth-monkey! We do not reproduce asexually!"

Dib stared at him for a few seconds. "So, then…that means there's another Irken on Earth?" He shook Zim by the arm somewhat but still held him down.

"Yes, _Dib_, the one that just hatched in my lab! I have to get down there now!" Zim was just about fed up with him.

Dib drew up a serious look. "Fine. You can go, but only if I get to go with you."

"You are such a pain Dib, you know that?" Zim growled.

"I like you too, Zim," Dib answered, dripping with sarcasm. "I'm going to let you up now. Make any weird moves and you'll be stuck in these handcuffs and off to the Swollen Eyeball. Got it?"

Zim grunted something incomprehensible back, but relaxed once Dib lifted his weight of him. The Irken began to stand slowly and carefully, watching Dib as he did so. His spine hurt and the place where Dib kicked him still throbbed. Though he felt somewhat better when he saw the swelling Dib was getting on his face from his own punch.

Keeping his eyes locked on the boy, Zim turned for the elevator that had brought him up. "We need to hurry," he said, motioning for Dib to follow. He had the feeling Dib was more curious than hostile at the moment, but Zim wouldn't let his guard down, not until he was sure he had the human contained in a defenseless manner. He could simply trap Dib on the way to the lab, but that would take more planning and stalling in order to succeed. And right now, Zim's main priority was tending to the smeet. If there was anything wrong and Zim could not fix it in time, the little Irken may not survive. Zim needed the smeet to live if he was to see his conquest through, and for his own personal reasons.

"Dib, put those handcuffs away and I won't harm you in any way while we're down there."

Dib eyed him suspiciously. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see past the Irken's solid stare. Reluctantly, he put the cuffs back in the inner pocket of his coat and waited for Zim to take them down. Over the years he had grown much taller and stronger, and even though the same happened to Zim, Dib still had the advantage of brute strength over him. If he detected Zim making any suspicious moves, he could easily force the alien to the ground again.

Zim led Dib into the elevator and activated the control to descend. After several seconds the transport stopped at the level that Zim wished, and both of them stepped out. Zim walked down a short hall with a single doorway at the end, Dib following him closely. The Irken pressed his palm against the entry panel and the door slid open with a slight hiss. Zim stepped in and immediately his eyes locked onto the table that the egg was perched on. Except now, instead of a whole teal blue shell, there were broken fragments. Within the pieces was a small green figure lying on its side, its wet skin glistening in the light from overhead. The smell of birth and the distinct new scent of his smeet hit Zim's senses. He quickly strode over to the table, leaving Dib in the doorway.

The last time Zim had seen a smeet was when he was one himself. Looking now from an adult's view, this smeet seemed so very small. Curled up, he could hold the newborn in one hand. The smeet had its pak attached while he was gone, just as Zim had programmed, and now the miniature Irken lay still in the remnants of its egg. As Zim peered closer, he could see its tiny chest moving in and out as it breathed. _He's alive. _"Computer! Run a scan!"

The computer hummed for a few seconds and then presented its findings. "Irken smeet is four minutes and thirty-eight seconds old. All life signs are green. Pak integration successful. Bio scanners show smeet is fully healthy."

Zim felt relief wash over him. His smeet was only asleep from the anesthesia shot of the pak installation. It would reawaken soon.

Throughout the computer's scan, Zim hadn't noticed Dib walk up beside him. Dib now stood, watching, as Zim picked up one of the blankets that was used to keep the egg warm and carefully wrapped the garment around the smeet, wiping away the liquids left over from the hatching off the smeet's skin. He pinched a pieced of the blanket between his fingers and patted the infant's wet antennae, which were still flattened against its skull. They would perk up after a few minutes and the eyes would open as well.

Dib watched Zim with interest as he picked the smeet up and brought it close to his chest. The little creature stirred lightly at Zim's warmth. Dib didn't think an infant Irken would be so small. He was amazed by the hatchling's size but he was also surprised by Zim's gentleness with it. For awhile, it seemed the larger Irken had forgotten about him, until Dib decided to draw his attention again. "Um, so, is it a boy or a girl?"

Zim glanced at him, his expression unreadable. He didn't like the human being so close. "It is a male," Zim answered, gazing back down at his smeet. Dib was full of Earthen-germs. Zim unconsciously took a step back.

Dib didn't say anything right away, mostly because he didn't know what to say. The whole situation was kind of awkward. He was excited to be there, to actually see a newborn alien, but there was also the sensation that he was intruding on something very personal. This was a critical moment for the bonding of two Irkens and he felt as if he, the human, didn't belong there-as if his very presence would disturb the process.

But he didn't want to go away either. So he tried to make himself feel better by asking simple questions. "What are you going to name him?"

"His name is Senari."

"Se-nari," Dib repeated. "Is that Irken for anything?"

Zim thought for an adequate equivalent for the human. "In your language, it can best be translated as 'one's star.'"

"Oh. That's a nice name then, I guess." There was another question Dib was wanting to ask, though he hoped it wouldn't ruin the fragile moment. "You said Irkens don't reproduce asexually. So where's his, uh, other parent?"

Zim sighed and closed his eyes as if deep in thought. "I don't know," he said somberly.

Dib nearly kicked himself for prying. He shouldn't even be there. But it was all so fascinating.

The little Irken suddenly cooed and mewled, moving its head around lazily and turning its face into the warmth of Zim's chest, grasping his Invader uniform with its tiny claws.

"He's waking," Zim said, explaining to Dib. "He'll open his eyes soon." Dib watched the smeet and sure enough, its eyes slowly began to creak open. From what he could tell from this distance, the smeet's eyes were the same color as Zim's: a bright magenta-red.

As Dib studied the small Irken, his own eyes widened when he saw Zim do something very odd. Zim licked the top of the smeet's head with the front half of his tongue, gliding the tip of it along the base of one antenna. The smeet cooed softly and warmly in response, pressing closer to the other. Dib concluded it was some Irken way of a parent kissing their child and it was probably completely normal in their society. He was surprised again when the infant lifted its head and lashed its own tiny tongue out in an upward motion as if to give a kiss back.

"_Ka-ru een sa-lae de ka's sa-mare."_

"What?" Dib snapped out of his thoughts as he heard Zim speak in Irken, apparently to Senari. "What did you say?"

"Nothing," Zim replied. He kept his eyes on his smeet, and he whispered in English, "Yes, you are."

Dib was confused. He had no idea what Zim was talking about, but it obviously had something to do with the little Irken in his arms. Dib committed the words he managed to catch to his memory. _Ka-ru_._ Sa-lae_._ Sa-mare_. He would use the computer from Tak's old ship to translate them later.

"I must discuss something with you Dib."

Dib turned to Zim again, curious. "And what's that?"

Zim shut his eyes and drew in a deep breath. Letting it out in a sigh, he continued. "I wish to make a truce with you."

"Truce?"

"Yes. Until Senari is able to better look after himself, I will have to stand by as his caretaker and guardian. In other words, I don't have time to deal with you and your annoying Dib-ness."

Dib looked at him skeptically, cocking an eyebrow. "So you want me to leave you alone?"

Zim held his gaze, locking their stares together. "In return, I won't spend as much time as I 'd like working on any major plans that are an immediate threat to this planet. But you understand I can't cease my duties completely? I'll take to observation and research instead of direct action. Is that pleasing enough for you?"

Dib thought about the offer. What would he get out of it? A lot of rest, probably. But he still believed he deserved something better. "Okay Zim, I'll accept. But only if I get to keep an eye on you. You have to let me come here every now and then to make sure you aren't doing anything evil."

Zim bared his teeth. "You don't trust me?"

"I'm sure you understand my reasoning."

Zim considered it. Whatever he offered, he was sure Dib would find some way to still be a bother. He didn't really want to have Dib wandering about his base all time, he needed to train Senari in private. Perhaps if he offered to learn Dib on simple Irken culture? Maybe then the human would feel he's been treated fairly enough? Dib wanted to come to the base but that didn't mean Zim had to let him down into the labs. He could keep Dib occupied on the top level for a good amount of time.

"Fine Dib," Zim said. "You can come here, but you only get to go as far as the ground level."

"What!? Why?" Dib growled.

"You may think I'm a mindless savage, Dib, but I like having my privacy as much as you do," Zim sneered. "You can go only where I say you can. This is _my_ base after all."

"Fine." Dib decided he wouldn't get anything better from Zim. "Shake on it?"

He held his hand out to the Irken. Zim eyed it warily before muttering something about strange human customs and then used the hand that wasn't holding Senari to grasp Dib's in agreement.

Dib shook Zim's hand lightly so he wouldn't scare the alien or anything with his _weird _human ways. Satisfied with their deal, Dib asked, "So, I guess we're on friendly terms now, right? You uh, need any help with him?" He nodded towards Senari, whose eyes were now fully open and were beginning to explore the surroundings.

Zim glanced down at his smeet, glad to see him looking about and alert. Zim looked back up at Dib. "He'll be hungry soon."

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Reviews make me happy. :) 


	6. Awakening

Everything felt so new. All he had known before was that warm, cozy, dark place where he'd been sleeping. It was still dark but it was cold now. He didn't like the cold. He was glad when he heard a noise nearby. The noise sounded familiar. There was a nice smell coming from the direction of the noise. It smelled good. He wanted to get closer to the where the smell came from. He felt movement. Something was touching him and whatever it was, it was warm. He wanted to be warm again! More than one thing was touching him. The things that were touching him had that nice smell on them. He could feel himself leaving the ground and somehow he knew he was being held. He now knew that someone was with him, holding him. This person was warm, and they smelled good. They smelled big and strong. He heard the noise again. Now he remembered. That noise was the same sound he heard while he had been asleep in that warm, cozy, dark place. It was coming from the person that was holding him. The sound was strong and powerful and he felt protected by it. He wanted to reach out to the person's sound so he tried to make a noise of his own. He heard the other's noise again and he was happy. Now he wondered if there was anything else besides the darkness that surrounded him. Slowly, a light started to appear. It grew bigger and bigger. Then he started to see shapes and colors form next within the light. Everything became clearer and clearer and for the first time he started to see what was on the other side of the cozy darkness. He was once again happy when he saw the visage of the person he knew he'd been waiting for.

_Kiss_.

He was happy.

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Yeah, short little chapter from Senari's pov after birth, since now he's an official character for this story. :) 


	7. Eating Time

"What are you going to feed him?" Dib asked curiously. He followed Zim down a few more levels of the base, where they entered a simple living area. This place was separate from the many labs above, sitting in its own little sector pod deep underground. This was Zim's home on Earth.

Zim, who was still holding Senari, made his way over to a storage cubicle which sat in a small room that resembled a kitchen to Dib. "That depends," Zim answered him, looking through the cabinet. "I'm low on Irken nutrient supplements." He glanced around the room, not finding what he wanted. "I should have had enough foresight to send for a restock," he muttered to himself.

Dib stared at him, the slightest bit of concern on his face. "So what will you do?"

"There is one thing," Zim said, gently stroking one antenna on Senari's head when he made a frustrated noise. He was already becoming fussy with his oncoming hunger. Out of options, Zim rummaged through another cubicle. He pulled out of it a metallic, rectangular box about the size and shape of a briefcase. With it, he entered into another room through a side door and Dib followed after him.

This new room was smaller and had a circular mattress in one corner. Dib realized it was a bedroom as he noticed folded up blankets and other storage cabinets with small little gadgets and objects sitting on their surfaces.

Zim set the metal box on the edge of the round bed and then carefully lay Senari down amongst the pillows. He then opened the box and pulled out a short syringe, filling it with an orange liquid kept in a small bottle within the box.

Dib grew nervous at the sight of the alien needle. "Uh, Zim? What are you doing?"

"This is an Irken medical kit," Zim answered. Then he looked up at Dib. "Were you worried I was going to poke you with something?" he grinned.

"N-No, just wondering," Dib said, still a little nervous. "Medical kit?"

Zim nodded to the syringe. "This is a hormone-enhancer. We Irkens have special glands in our abdomens to nurse our smeets with. I'll have to feed Senari myself."

"Feed him _yourself_?"

"I haven't been eating enough to create my own, uh, what you call 'milk.' This injection will stimulate my body to produce some from my pak's energy reserves."

Dib was stunned. "But…aren't you a _guy_?"

Zim stared at him. "Yes. I don't know what you mean, Dib. What does that have to do with anything?"

"N-Nothing…just never mind." Dib decided to just deal with it. Irkens were so strange…

_Humans are so strange_, Zim thought. He set the needle down and removed his gloves and then his uniform. He had on a black undershirt made from a light but sturdy material. He lifted the shirt up on one side, exposing a small patch of green skin. Dib, who was watching closely, flinched slightly when Zim jabbed the needle in his side and injected the liquid.

Afterwards, Zim set the syringe back in its place inside the kit and closed the box, setting it off to the side on top of a small dresser. He sat on the bed next to Senari with this back against the wall. He lifted his shirt just enough to show his stomach and studied his own flesh.

Dib gazed at the Irken's smooth abdomen, watching Zim trace small patterns over it with his fingers. Dib was confused though. He saw no sign that any kind of glands were present. "There's nothing there," he pointed out.

Zim continued brushing his fingers over his skin. "They only become visible once we've prepared ourselves to rear a smeet," he explained quietly. "I haven't been physically readying myself for it, there's been too many things on my mind lately. That's what the injection was for. I've actually lost weight rather than gained any."

"Then is it a good idea that you even do this?"

Zim sighed. "I have no choice. I might come out of it a little weak, but I'm not going to starve Senari. Not after getting him this far."

Dib glanced over at Zim's smeet, who was moving about quite a bit. He was surprised when Senari pushed himself on his arms and sat up straight, looking around curiously. "I can't believe how strong he is already."

Zim grinned. "Irkens are superior to humans in more ways than one, Dib. Our young are not completely helpless after birth. Smeets develop very quickly."

As Zim said this, Senari went back to all fours and fumbled with his limbs for a bit before shakily crawling over to the other Irken. He supported himself on Zim's thigh and sat up straight again, looking up at his father's face.

"That's amazing," Dib commented. Senari stretched his neck out and sniffed at Zim's stomach, instinctively knowing that something would be there for him to eat. Zim smiled and placed him in his lap, supporting him with one hand. Dib watched as the smeet started sniffing and nipping at the four small nubs that were slowly starting to form on Zim's skin. Senari looked up at Zim as if to question why there was no food yet.

The larger Irken chuckled. "Be patient, little one. You'll have your fill soon enough."

Senari gave a little sigh and leaned his head against his father's stomach, waiting for the time when he could eat.

Dib found the whole exchange very interesting. "It's like he already understands what you're saying. Is it because of that pak thing?"

Zim smiled. "This actually has nothing to do with the pak. Smeets can naturally be very acute to their adult caretakers. It's just how we evolved."

Dib was wishing he had his notepad right now. He was getting more out of Zim in just a few minutes than he usually got in six months. He'd have to remember to write everything down when he got home.

Finally, Senari found a tit that was ready to give him food and he started suckling on it, closing his eyes in content as he received his first meal in life.

Zim shut his eyes too as he felt the smeet nibbling on him, letting his head thud against the wall. "I do hope I receive new supply stores soon."

"What about Earth food?" Dib asked.

Zim sighed. "It's not the best thing for me right now. His pak will protect him but I don't want to chance him becoming ill."

Dib thought about it for a moment and then something occurred to him. "Actually, maybe it will be good for him. I mean, you've been here for along time already. You've had to have built up some immunities by now to our food and environment and stuff. So you'll most likely pass those defenses on to him when you feed him like this, don't you think?"

Zim considered it and Dib did have a valid point. He hadn't thought of that before. "Possibly." Dib might be right but Zim didn't have to admit it.

Dib could already sense Zim's stubbornness. The Irken knew he was right. _Oh well… _They remained in silence for awhile, Zim on the bed and Dib leaning against the wall as he had nowhere else to sit except the floor. He watched the little Irken in Zim's lap, happily suckling away, pulling back every now and then for a quick breath.

_Senari_. A star. He wondered why Zim had chosen a name like that. Not that there was anything wrong with it. Dib actually liked the name. _I guess I'll never quite figure him out_. Then, he thought of something else. _Though I wonder…_

"Hey, Zim?"

"Yes?"

"You said Senari means 'one's star.' I was wondering, what about your name?"

Zim let his eyelids flit open and he gazed across the room to the far opposite wall, staring at nothing. Softly, he answered Dib. "My name is Zimaris. In the ancient Irken language it means 'loyalty.'"

"Loyalty, huh?" Dib smiled. "Well, I think whoever named you, named you good, heh." His smile faltered when Zim sighed, almost sounding defeated. "I mean, you seem very loyal to your people and planet."

"Yes," was Zim's only response. He looked down. Senari had finished his meal and was licking his lips dry of any leftovers. Zim gently picked him up and set him on the mattress again. Then Zim laid himself down, curling his legs up and drawing Senari close to his chest. He covered him with a soft blanket, placing his arm around him. "Sleep now, _hitu_," he whispered to him. "I need to rest Dib. You can take the same elevator back to the surface."

Dib frowned. He wasn't expecting to get thrown out so soon. "Um, alright."

"And don't even think of getting off at any of the other levels," Zim warned. "I'll know if you do."

"Sure, no problem." Dib stepped away from the wall and went slowly to the doorway, pausing to look back at Zim. "I'll be back sometime soon. Ya know, just to make sure you're not doing anything evil."

"I know," Zim said, letting his eyes slip closed.

Dib studied the two Irkens a minute longer and then exited the room.

-----

Once home, Dib went straight to his computer. He wanted to record the massive amount of new information he gathered on Zim. But first, he input the words the Irken had spoken earlier. The computer in Tak's ship was still connected to his own systems, giving him easy access to an Irken translation program.

Dib entered the three words together, in the order he heard them, spelling each one out as best he could. The computer searched through its database of Irken words and phrases, looking for the best possible matches. It presented him with its results fairly quickly.

**Ka-ru: **_you are, you're_

**Sa-lae: **_beautiful_

**Sa-mare: **_mother_

_You're…beautiful…mother…_Dib thought about the words Zim had said. These three by themselves didn't make much sense, but there were other words that were said in between them, ones that Dib wasn't able to catch. _Hmm…_Zim had said "Yes, you are" right after his sentence. Dib considered the many things Zim was saying to Senari but one seemed to stand out as the most logical answer: _You're beautiful like _or_ as your mother. _

At least Dib now had some inkling of what Zim had been talking about. Next time he went over there, he would be sure to bring his notepad in case Zim let slip any more of his native language.

Then, Dib remembered one other thing that was said before he left. He typed in '_hitu_' and waited for the result. On screen, he saw the word _dearest_ come up.

-----

She didn't remember when she had dozed off but she did recall the dream she had. She had been standing in a wide, golden field back on her home planet. She felt something at her feet and she looked down. There was a small child sitting comfortably in her shadow, protected from the bright sun that shone overhead. He smiled up at her but she couldn't remember if she smiled back. She picked her head up and saw someone approaching them. The person stopped in front of her and the child and smiled, extending a hand out to her. She took the hand without question as she stared into his beautiful red eyes.

That was when she awoke. Tak looked around her lab, still a little lightheaded from her sleep. She rubbed at her eyes and temples, and went back to her work.

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Hope no one was too weirded out by this chapter. XD 

Review please! I appreciate it. :)


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